Best Writing Apps in 2026
Updated
In short: WriterDuet is ranked #1 of 119 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Story Architect and Campfire. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Story Architect. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Final Draft at $0.69/mo.
From early drafts to polished manuscripts, writing apps can differ in how they support revision, collaboration, and getting work out of the app. Compared on export formats and publishing tools, they also include practical distinctions such as version history, offline mode, and real-time collaboration. Mobile apps may matter if you move between devices; free plans and paid-from pricing offer additional points of comparison. Celtx, WriterDuet, and Campfire are among the options, alongside Story Architect and Final Draft. Consider which features fit your writing process, whether you need to work without a connection, and how you expect to share or publish finished work.
119 writing apps ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 WriterDuet iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.5Free Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: YesVersion history: Yes
- 2 Story Architect iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.5$4.17/mo
- 3 Campfire iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.5$19/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: YesVersion history: Yes
- 4 LivingWriter iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.4Free Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: YesVersion history: Yes
- 5 Celtx iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.3$11.24/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: YesVersion history: Yes
- 6 Tolstoy Compose iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.2£5/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: NoVersion history: Yes
- 7 Arc Studio Pro iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.1$5.75/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: YesVersion history: Yes
- 8 Novlr iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.1$8/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: YesVersion history: Yes
- 9 Dabble iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.0$19/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: YesVersion history: Yes
- 10 Scrivener iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.9$23.99/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: NoVersion history: Yes
- 11 Final Draft iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.9$0.69/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: YesVersion history: Yes
- 12 bibisco iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.7 Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: No
- 13 Novelium Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.7$19/mo Publishing tools: Yes
- 14 Edda Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.5$39/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: No
- 15 Ulysses iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.5$3.33/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: NoVersion history: Yes
- 16 JotterPad iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.5 Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: NoVersion history: Yes
- 17 Novelcrafter iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.4$4/mo
- 18 Studiovity iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.4
- 19 Quillhollow Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.4$49.99/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: NoVersion history: Yes
- 20 Storyist iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.3$19/mo Publishing tools: YesVersion history: Yes
- 21 MyStory.today iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.3€2/mo Publishing tools: NoReal-time collaboration: No
- 22 Atticus iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.1$147/mo Publishing tools: YesReal-time collaboration: YesVersion history: No
- 23 Vondel iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.1$4.17/mo Publishing tools: YesVersion history: Yes
- 24 Quille iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.1$2.50/mo Publishing tools: YesVersion history: Yes
- 25 yWriter iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.0 Publishing tools: YesVersion history: Yes
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Publishing tools | Real-time collaboration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WriterDuet | 9.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Story Architect | 9.5 | Free plan | $4.17/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | Campfire | 9.5 | Free plan | $19/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | LivingWriter | 9.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Celtx | 9.3 | Free plan | $11.24/mo | Yes | $11.24/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | Tolstoy Compose | 9.2 | Free plan | £5/mo | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| 7 | Arc Studio Pro | 9.1 | Free plan | $5.75/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | Novlr | 9.1 | Free plan | $8/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Dabble | 9.0 | No | $19/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | Scrivener | 8.9 | No | $23.99/mo | No | $23.99/user/mo | Yes | No |
| 11 | Final Draft | 8.9 | No | $0.69/mo | No | Free | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | bibisco | 8.7 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| 13 | Novelium | 8.7 | Free plan | $19/mo | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 14 | Edda | 8.5 | No | $39/mo | No | — | Yes | No |
| 15 | Ulysses | 8.5 | No | $3.33/mo | No | — | Yes | No |
| 16 | JotterPad | 8.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| 17 | Novelcrafter | 8.4 | No | $4/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 18 | Studiovity | 8.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 19 | Quillhollow | 8.4 | Free plan | $49.99/mo | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| 20 | Storyist | 8.3 | No | $19/mo | No | — | Yes | — |
| 21 | MyStory.today | 8.3 | Free plan | €2/mo | Yes | — | No | No |
| 22 | Atticus | 8.1 | No | $147/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 23 | Vondel | 8.1 | No | $4.17/mo | No | — | Yes | — |
| 24 | Quille | 8.1 | No | $2.50/mo | — | — | Yes | — |
| 25 | yWriter | 8.0 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which writing app is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
WriterDuet is ranked #1 of 119 with a score of 9.5. Story Architect is second and Campfire third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Final Draft has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.69/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.